About Our School

To provide learner-centered, individualized pathways to success for Ohio students, connecting them to their community and partners around the state, preparing them for career success, and enabling them to fulfill their promise.

To provide every student in Ohio access to a learner-centered, world-class, career-focused education that allows them to graduate with real-world experience, a credential, and/or a degree and sets them on a path for life-long success.

• Our students are the most important people at our school, and we believe that every student can succeed and find their path to a successful career and future.
• We build and refine our approach to the science of learning and development, leveraging best practices from proven successes in Career Tech, school innovation, and youth development.
• We believe that relationships are at the core of student success, and prioritize them through a strong mentoring program, a comprehensive Advisory approach, and meaningful family engagement.
• We are driven by equity, and we make learning meaningful and relevant to students through personalized learning paths, Credit Flex enabled approaches, and mastery & equity-based grading.
• We center Career Development throughout the school experience, helping students connect skills, interest, and abilities to career opportunities while helping students understand how they fit into the bigger world. 
• We use best-in-class curriculum and tools with proven results to set students up for success and drive academic performance. 
• We believe that Project and Problem Based Learning produces successful learners who take greater agency in their lives and community.
• We believe the foundation of a successful model includes integrated, seamless partnerships with industry, higher education, and community partners across Ohio, opening opportunities for students during their PCA journey and beyond.
• We believe a safe, positive, and caring environment is critical to student success.
• We use data to inform our decisions and measure our success.

All students have different needs, learn at various rates, and have different learning styles. No one educational program is appropriate for all students. Therefore, students will have a broad experience of activities that engage them in media-rich content, direct instruction, project-based learning, and interest-driven and talent-driven opportunities with a healthy mind and body emphasis.  

Students will learn from their teachers, peers, and community partners. This broad-based approach to learning will be an exciting and valuable experience, creating lifelong 21st-century learners and competent 21st-century citizens.  

Students will learn and grow with the guidance of Highly Qualified Teachers, Success Coaches, and Intervention Specialists. The school will prioritize a nurturing environment that fosters self-discipline, individuality, and responsibility. The dedicated staff will work in small groups and one-on-one with students, addressing not only their learning issues but also their life situations that have prevented success in traditional schools.  

Pathfinder Career Academy is built on a firm foundation of high expectations for academic achievement for all students. A standards-based curriculum that teaches students skills for college and career readiness is fundamental to the teaching and learning program implemented at the school. Teachers will receive ongoing professional development in unpacking learning standards so that students develop the skills necessary to successfully advance from one grade level to the next. The curriculum is built on state standards for English Language Arts, mathematics, science, social studies, visual arts, and physical education. 

PCA is designed for students who will thrive in a collaborative, nurturing, and self-paced environment and are willing to put forth the effort required to succeed. The school will have a holistic focus on each student and aim to address unique needs, both in and out of school. The school’s Advisory and mentoring program will provide individualized support for each student and will help to foster strong working relationships with each one.